Review comments

The teachers are amazing. I made some friends which is great. However, there are so many out of control kids that constantly make me not want to go here because most of class is disrupted by them. Great potential if those kids were under control or out of school.
-7th grade student

This school has improved during the last 3 years but there is still so much work to be done. The principal says that his main priority are the kids but when it comes to making exceptions only the kids whose parents are part of PTO fit the description. I have witnessed that the teacher's needs get fulfilled before the children's. I liked how they handled the situation when my daughter was bullied but it is unfortunate that so many kids have a very bad attitude towards the school. There is a handful of teachers that are exceptional and well respected by the kids. The other teachers don't either know how to handle some of them or just show up for a pay check. I guess this is what you get when they get paid by the taxpayers....mediocrity

Our daughter has attended there since 6th grade. When she first began she could not wait to get to school and thought it was marvelous. Now in 7th grade and a bit more of the "teen" thing happening, not so enthusiastic; however she still loves the school, most of the teachers, and her social groups. As a review thus from being an educator myself, I can see the school has tremendous potential to become greater than they actually think they are now. The new principals, in my opinion, are excellent and work well together, and they insist on a nurturing and fair educational environment that truly cares for the children and teenagers who attend. From what I have seen about 70 % of the teachers follow their lead; some others lag behind with a somewhat tenured and lower level of enthusiasm that is common for public school. However when you walk into the place the general feel of the school is upbeat, enthusiastic and supportive, and I have seen them project this to the students, encouraging them to be AND act their best at all times. I give 3 stars for the educational experience and raise it to 4 stars because of the caring and enthusiasm.

When you overhear the current principal and assistant principal making fun of and laughing at their staff, it makes you wonder about what kind of hostile and toxic environment teachers here must deal with on a day to day basis. It is honestly disappointing to see such behavior from school administrators, who SHOULD act professionally and treat their staff in the same manner in which they demand teachers to their own students: with kindness and respect.

I absolutely disagree with both comments below. My child now entering grade 7 made friends with seventh and eigth graders when she was in grade 6 at Ripp. Ad, as far as teachers go, I have not seen more caring, more fun and more nice teachers ever. So far, I can talk only of the sixth grade teachers. And, they were awesome, awesome. I a parent is not happy with a teacher, I strongly recommend meeting them. Only then will you realize how much they want each child to succeed and be their best. As far as detaining kids, yes, it is necessary. If these kids are disrupting classrooms, and do not value education, they should be disciplined. The new team of principal and vice principal is wonderful and will do the right things for the school.

The school is average. The teachers is the best. Stay away from the psychologists because they hurt more then help the student. They don't let the student be themselves and my son was good there eventually. Not from them but from us the parents. That's why there needs to be more parent involvement. The new principal discipline the students to make them behave and it worked. The school could use a little more parent involvement. The school needs to be more cleaner mostly the restrooms my son says are really dirty and he got sick from there once after washing his hands the door knob was dirty he remembered then he ate lunch and got sick later that day. Students from IB (International Baccalaureate) and from different grades are really separated which is bad. The only way to make a friend in a different grade is in the bus, but they will live near you, but still there could be other possible friends to make there. Submitted by a parent

Rippawam has poor leadership there. The new principal suspends kids just for veral confrontation. Last I hear or thought fighting and bodily harm was the cause for that! This is not how you start off being a principal. The teachers there are horrible, and the think that they are on these kids level. This school would be successful if teachers acted licked they liked their jobs. Most of the adults talk about every child there either to their co- workers or toa parent while the child is present. This school is the worst when it comes to having leadership there. Yes some kids are hard to handle, but they need to address those situations better than they do. I most say the helpers that walk around with the students, do get caught up with the immature behavior as the other staff members. This school need team work,and the staff there suck with exceptions. If there was another school my children could go to, I wouldsend them there. These teachers need to understand that in order to earn these kids respect, they have to treat them with some. These teachers are always getting these kids in trouble instead of trying to solve the problem, before it spiral out of control.

I am a parent of a child who attends this school. The staff and principle are not kind or willing to help a parent that has any interest in learning about their childs education.The principal is not a good listener or a great leader. The kids are mean to other kids and the staff allows this behavior. I rate this school as -1 as there needs to be a more collaboration between parents and staff to help ourchildren. When anyone asks about my childs experience I will recommend that they do anything and everything to avoid sending their child go this school.the school principle IS RUDE and DISRESPECTFUL.Help is desperately needed in that school- call your board of Ed write letters if you have had a bad experience too. Write your own review

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